Trevor Siemian Is Done in Atlanta Before Camp Even Started and That’s a Problem

The Falcons made a quarterback move Wednesday, but it had nothing to do with their ongoing competition between Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. Instead, Atlanta released veteran Trevor Siemian with a non-football injury designation, ending his stint with the team before training camp even got rolling.

Siemian signed with the Falcons back in March, a low-key depth addition for a team that knows a thing or two about quarterback uncertainty. But an undisclosed injury — the team hasn’t said what it is — kept him off the field entirely. Head coach Kevin Stefanski knows Siemian from their shared time with the Vikings in 2018, but that connection didn’t matter here. Siemian never took a snap for Atlanta.

Now the question is whether Siemian, who turns 35 this year and has bounced around to 10 different NFL teams over 11 seasons, has much of a future in the league. If there was a roster that made sense for him, it was this one. Both Tagovailoa and Penix have checkered injury histories, and Atlanta needed insurance. Instead, Siemian is out, and the Falcons are scrambling a bit.

The quarterback room already looks thin. Both Tagovailoa and Penix are banged up right now — the team hasn’t provided much detail, but it’s enough that undrafted free agent Jack Strand took QB1 reps on Wednesday. That’s not ideal for a team with playoff hopes. Atlanta already brought in Cooper Rush to add some veteran presence, but the situation is far from settled.

More Injury Trouble Hits Atlanta

The Falcons placed several other players on the physically unable to perform list Wednesday. Offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor, safety Billy Bowman Jr., linebacker DeAngelo Malone, and linebacker Troy Anderson are all sidelined for now. Atlanta also put defensive end Zach Harrison and defensive lineman Anterio Thompson on the active/non-football injury list.

That’s a lot of bodies out before the pads even come on. The Falcons are hoping this is just an early-camp rough patch, but the depth chart is already getting tested in ways they probably didn’t plan for.

Siemian’s release might not move the needle nationally, but it’s another reminder that Atlanta’s quarterback situation — between the injury-prone duo and the lack of proven backup options — is one wrong hit away from getting ugly. For now, the Falcons are just trying to get through the first week without losing anyone else.